Self-filling syringe



W. KASSAB June 3, 1941.

SELF-FILLING SYRINGE Filed May 1, 1940 mmmiaw vEN'i'oR A KASSAB ATI'ORNE Patented June'S, 1941 UNlTED STATES PATET QFFICE SELF-FILLING SYRINGE Wadea Kassab, Chester, Pa. Application May 1, 1940, Serial No. 332,671

2 Claims. (01. 128-232) My invention relates to a new and useful selffilling syringe and more particularly to the hand operated bulb type of syringe usually employed for discharging liquids in small amounts at predetermined points and under specified conditions.

One Very common use of this type of springe is by dentistswho universally employ it for cleaning out the tooth or the gum at the point at which they are working whether the same be with water or sterilizing solution and, indeed, the average dentist in an average working day has occasion to use the syringe at extremely frequent intervals.

Syringes of this character now universally used must be manually filled before each time the syringe is used and this operation, not only consumes unnecessary time at a moment when haste is mandatory, but a repetition of the same movement all day long results in substantial muscular fatigue. As is known, the type of syringe provided with a bulb expels the water or other liquid by pressure on the bulb and, conversely, the bulb must be collapsed to expel the air therefrom, and then the nozzle of the syringe must be positioned under water, the partial vacuum having been created in the bulb serving to draw the liquid up through the nozzle into the bulb. When a dentist, for instance, is using this type of syringe, he begins by collapsing the rubber bulb between the fingers and holding the nozzle below the surface of the liquid and waiting until the bulb expands and the syringe gradually fills. This takes a few seconds to accomplish. The syringe is then transferred to the patients mouth and some or all of the liquid therein is expelled. The natural tendency of the hand is to relax thus filling the bulb with air again and, in order to-work on the patient immediately while the part that has been washed is still clean, the dentist cannot take time to refill the syringe or to keep the bulb collapsed until the nozzle of the sryinge is again immersed in the desired liquid. The result is that the syringe is emptied of liquid and filled with air and is dropped haphazardly into the container of the liquid near the dentists chair. When it is again desired to flush the mouth, it is necessary for the dentist again to collapse the bulb to drive out the air and then again await a specified time for the syringe to fill.

It is the object of my invention to devise a self-filling syringe and particularly one which i automatically self-closing when not in use and during the transfer of the syringe between the patients mouth and the liquid receptacle to prevent the entry of air into the bulb whenever some of the liquid in the bulb has been expelled thus maintaining a vacuum in the bulb corresponding to the amount of liquid expelled therefrom at all. times, and whereby mere dropping of the syringe into the liquid receptacle willautomatically refill the syringe while the latter is not in use so that the syringe is at all times full and ready for instantaneous use, and whereby theuser of the syringe need only collapse the bulb when it is desired to squirt its contents, it being entirely unnecessary otherwise to manipulate the bulb to maintain the syringe fully loaded.

The construction and manner of operation of my novel device will be more clearly understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 represents a vertical cross sectional view showing my novel syringe empty and in the closedposition. I

Fig. 2 represents a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the syringe positioned in a tumbler containing the liquid to be dispensed with the syringe shown in the open and full position.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the method of use of my novel syringe.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts, my novel syringe, like the conventional syringes, is provided with the discharge nozzle 6 and the elastic collapsible bulb B which are secured together in any suitable manner such as the interconnecting nipple Ill. The structure thus far described represents that of the ordinary, conventional syringe which is loaded or filled by collapsing the bulb 8, submerging the lower end of the nozzle 6 and then releasing the collapsed bulb thus drawing the liquid up into the syringe as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In order to accomplish the purposes of my invention as above outlined, I provide the bottom end of the nipple H] with a flap valve or closure I2 which is pivoted at M to a lug or bracket l6 carried by the nipple ill or otherwise suitably secured within the upper end It of the nozzle 6, the fiap valve I2 being secured at 20 to the arm 22 which, when in its lower position to which it is urged by gravity, extends beyond the lower edge 24 of the discharge nozzle 6 as at 25. Thus,

when the bottom end 24 of the discharge nozzle 6 is not in contact with anything, such as the bottom 28 of the tumbler or other container 30, the arm 22 hangs down and therefore maintains V zle 6.

The operation is as follows;

Starting with the syringe completely emptied;

the operator collapses the bulb 8 between the fingers and the nozzle 6 is submerged in the liquid 32. The pressure on the bulb 8 is relieved, and, either because the flap valve l2 was opened by the discharge of air from the bulb 8, or because'the rod 22 has been pushed upwardly by contact withthe" bottom of the glass 28, the liquid 32 is drawn upwardly into the bulb 8. When the operator, such as a dentist, takes the syringe out of the liquid and discharges some of its contents in the mouth of the patient, the dentist need not keep the bulb 8 collapsed until the nozzle 6 is again submerged in the liquid 32, since, immediately upon release of pressure on the bulb 8 and hence on the flap "valve l2, the weight of the rod 22 immediately causes the latter to drop thus raising the valve I21 into its closing position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This prevents the entry of air into the bulb 8 and the latter remains collapsed without any finger pressure thereon during the transfer of the syringe from the mouth back into the container 38. When the syringe is deposited in the tumbler 30, it naturally settles to the bottom of the tumbler and the bottom 28 of the tumbler pushes the rod 22 upwardly thus again permitting the liquid 32 to rise and fill the vacuum previously created by the discharge of some of the contents of the bulb 8. In this way the syringe refills itself and is ready for instant use when again needed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A self -filling syringe comprising a collapsible bulb, a nozzle communicating therewith, a valve fulcrunied intermediate said bulb and said nozzle,

' and an arm pivotally connected to said valve and WADEA KASSAB. 

